Months ahead of the national elections, the government has doled out an internet bonanza for rural India as it cleared a proposal to provide three internet connections and one wi-fi hotspot in each of the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats spread across the country. The project, which is expected to be completed by March 2016, will ride on the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) being developed by the government and provide internet connectivity across the rural belt of the country, linking crores of villagers to the worldwide web.
The measure was mooted by the Department of Telecom (DoT) and received a go-ahead by the inter-ministerial Telecom Commission (TC) .
The total cost of the broadband project has been pegged at Rs.3,750 crore, a source said, adding that this will be funded by the Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund. Operating expenses are estimated at Rs.1,860 crore. “An in-principle approval has been given to the proposal and the project will be spread over three phases, with final completion envisaged on March 31, 2016,” the source said.
A detailed project report (DPR) will now be prepared to work on the modalities of the rollout.
The government had cleared the Rs.20,000 crore NOFN project in October 2011 to provide connectivity to the gram panchayat level. At present, optical fibre cable connectivity is available in all state capitals, districts, HQs and up to the Block level. The idea of the NOFN project was to connect the blocks to the gram panchayats.
This will be done by utilizing existing fibres of PSUs (BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid) and laying incremental fibre to connect to Gram Panchayats, wherever necessary. Dark fibre network thus created will be lit by appropriate technology, thus creating sufficient bandwidth at the gram panchayats.
The measure was mooted by the Department of Telecom (DoT) and received a go-ahead by the inter-ministerial Telecom Commission (TC) .
The total cost of the broadband project has been pegged at Rs.3,750 crore, a source said, adding that this will be funded by the Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund. Operating expenses are estimated at Rs.1,860 crore. “An in-principle approval has been given to the proposal and the project will be spread over three phases, with final completion envisaged on March 31, 2016,” the source said.
A detailed project report (DPR) will now be prepared to work on the modalities of the rollout.
The government had cleared the Rs.20,000 crore NOFN project in October 2011 to provide connectivity to the gram panchayat level. At present, optical fibre cable connectivity is available in all state capitals, districts, HQs and up to the Block level. The idea of the NOFN project was to connect the blocks to the gram panchayats.
This will be done by utilizing existing fibres of PSUs (BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid) and laying incremental fibre to connect to Gram Panchayats, wherever necessary. Dark fibre network thus created will be lit by appropriate technology, thus creating sufficient bandwidth at the gram panchayats.
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